Pocketful of Rainbows
by SecretInk
Summary: Cress and Thorne make plans to celebrate the Third Era version of Valentine's Day: Love Day.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _Just a little Cresswell piece for Valentine's Day. I could potentially add more chapters but since I have to update my other fics, I leave it as a oneshot for now. But I do have ideas for it and hope to get back to it someday. :)_

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"Any plans for the 14th?" Thorne asked her, casually looking over her shoulder to the main screen that projected their schedule and the cargo they had in store for the next few trips. According to her calculations, they would be able to make it to six more cities before they would need to head back to Luna to restock the letumosis antidotes. She tapped at the screen to enter the numbers, only slightly distracted by the way Thorne's lips brushed her hair for a split second. It was his common way of greeting her or just giving her some attention. Thorne had gotten in the habit of kissing and playing with her hair, brushing a few wayward strands behind her ear or wrapping them around his fingers. Always playful, but with an underlying gentleness to it that never failed to send shudders down her spine.

His touch made Cress look over the schedule once more even though she already knew it by heart."Um, no. We'll be distributing the antidote in Portugal but then we have to wait for another crew from the European Federation army to retrieve the last batches. We'll head back to Luna on the 16th then. Maybe even on the 15th, depending on how the distribution goes."

Which, as Cress had learned, could be quite chaotic with people desperate for the antidote. They had to focus on the severe cases first, which was easier said than done. Then were the cases where the inflicted were too weak to go to where they were distributing the antidote so either Thorne or Scarlet had to use the podships for extra tours — especially in areas where there was almost no medical supply or hospital around.

Cress glanced over her shoulder. Thorne was still looking at the screen, scratching his jaw with a thoughtful expression. "Why? Did an emergency delivery come up?"

"No," Thorne answered after an uncharacteristic pause."I just thought that we should take advantage of such a special date."

"Special date?" Unsure about what made the day so special, Cress looked once more at the screen, trying to guess what Thorne was talking about.

February 14th ... oooh.

Love Day.

Cress wanted to swoon from sheer happiness. It was one of the few holidays that carried over from the Second Era even though its origins and history were mostly lost now. What remained was the idea of having a special day for couples on which they could celebrate their love. Though not strictly an actual holiday, it was popular across the globe though each culture had different customs.

Cress couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it right away. But then again, she had never had the means to celebrate any holiday. Not in the lava tubes where the other shells were too scared to sing popular holiday songs lest Sybil could punish them for even knowing them. And in the satellite, where each day was just as repetitive and dull as the one before, holidays had little meaning. The only thing that changed for her were the holiday-themed netdramas she was watching every year. But actually celebrating? Never.

That is, if that was what Thorne actually suggested? Was he asking her out?

Cress debated playing coy like the girls in the net drama who fluttered their eyes and would feign innocence when they asked " _What special date?_ " But Cress was done with pretending to be someone she wasn't. And coyness and fluttering eyes had never been in her repertoire to begin with.

It didn't mean she didn't have to gather her courage though. "You mean Love Day? You want to celebrate it with me?"

Thorne grinned at her. "I guess my asking out technique has gotten a bit rusty. But yes, I thought I could take you on an official date. I have to step up my romance game after all." And then, without warning, he grabbed her and spun her around, cradling her securely in his arms and then ...

... he kissed her. Gentle and sweet but with a touch of his smile still lingering on the corner of his mouth. Cress hadn't been caught that off-guard by Thorne's kisses like that in a while. It was just as exciting and wonderful, but Cress had learned to reciprocate. She trusted him to hold her, which allowed her hands to roam free as the kiss went on, across the cool leather of his jacket, up to his face and hair, their lips always moving against each other's. Cress didn't think she could ever get used to these perfect moments.

Thorne slowly pulled away, but not without leaving a few pecks on her cheek. "So? What do you think?"

Cress refused to open her eyes just yet. "I think your romance game is just fine," she murmured, still caught in the sensation of his lips trailing on the side of her face.

She heard him laugh, his breath tickling her skin in the most pleasant of ways. "That's good to hear." Thorne finally righted them both. "But not what I meant. I asked about the date." He ran his hand through his hair, almost as if he was unsure. And then he looked at her so nervously as if he hadn't just kissed the living daylights out of her. "Will you be my date, Cress?"

She wanted to laugh because there was no question what her answer would be. They'd been together for a few months now and finally, they would have their first official date. But she didn't laugh. Instead, she raised on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"I would love to."


	2. Chapter 2

"So, the captain has big plans then?" Scarlet asked as she stirred the sauce.

Cress shrugged as she tossed the salad in the bowl. "I'm not sure actually. He wants it to be a surprise."

It was Cress's turn to help Scarlet in the galley. She, Thorne and Wolf rotated since Scarlet was the only one who could actually cook something and not just heat it up. They all did well enough with dry-freezed food and canned goods, but since they stopped at a city every few days, Scarlet made sure to stock their pantry and freezer with a few fresh groceries; meats, vegetables and fruits in particular.

Cress loved helping Scarlet. She didn't have any experience with fresh food and cooking (despite what she knew from the feeds) but Scarlet had made sure that Cress could try her hand at cutting, frying, seasoning—and most importantly, tasting—as much as she wanted to.

It also gave the two girls some time to talk, as they did now.

Scarlet blew a rebellious red curl out of her face. "I know Thorne well enough to think it's going to be big. He likes to be the center of attention and he's crazy about you. So, better be prepared for something big."

Cress pursed her lips at Scarlet's comment, half indignant on Thorne's behalf, half delighted by the prospect of a big surprise. She had the feeling that Scarlet was less than enthusiastic about Thorne's gestures of affections but Cress cherished every single one of them. And she would definitely love a grand romantic gesture. "I would love that," she simply told the redhead.

Scarlet laughed good-naturedly. "Of course you would. You are just as smitten as he is. You, thankfully, have more common sense than Thorne, but you're just as moon-eyed as him." Scarlet must have seen the expression on her face, because she laughed even harder. "Oh come on, Cress. Let's be honest, you two are _this_ close to standing under each other's porthole to serenade each other. And that's just not for everyone."

Instead of answering, Cress's mind easily conjured the image of Thorne under her porthole, softly strumming the strings of an old-fashioned acoustic guitar and singing a song just for her. The rational part of Cress's brain obviously knew that her captain wouldn't be inclined to such a spectacle but the whimsical part couldn't help but run with the idea, adding fireflies for good measure and slight breezes that tousled Thorne's perfect hair ...

"Aces, there you go again." Scarlet's words ripped Cress out of her fantasy while she added more spices and pinches of salt to her sauce before taking the pot off the stove. "You're easily the smartest person I know but you can be just as spaced out as Iko or Winter. Worse, sometimes," Scarlet tutted though her tone wasn't unkind.

Quite tempted to just stick out her tongue at the older girl (something she saw Iko do a lot—especially around a certain Lunar guard), Cress chose a different route instead. "Or Wolf," she challenged with an impish grin. "He also spaces out a lot when he looks at you. What did you call it? Moon-eyed, right?"

"He doesn't!"

Cress grin grew wider. "Oh, he does. I'm sure Wolf won't mind grand romantic gestures either. Don't think I haven't noticed the blue flowers he always picks for you. Or how he always leaves the blackberries from his piece of cake for you because he knows that they're your favorite. Or how he takes extra time flexing when he carries the boxes and stuff so you can ogle him."

Tongue stuck in her cheek in an attempt to hide a smile, Scarlet sent a warning look at Cress as she blew on the sauce to cool it down. "Careful."

Cress leaned forward, fingers picking at the scratched surface of the table. "Or the time you two weren't on the Rampion and came back, clothes all rumpled from"—Cress made quotes in the air—" _falling down a hill_ as you put it even though you clearly were—" Cress didn't get any further as she got a spoonful of sauce in her mouth.

Hand flying to her mouth as to not make a mess, Cress nodded at the taste. "Delicious."

Scarlet wiped a wayward drop from Cress's chin with a gentleness that was rare from her. "Thanks. You can get the guys. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"Okay." Cress stood up from the table and made her way to the hall. "Oh, and Scarlet?" Cress popped her head back into the galley and waited until she had the redhead's attention. "When you carry stuff, Wolf ogles you too."

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 **A/N:** _I know it's not PEA or TWMA but sometimes I like to rotate between stories, so I had fun writing this one lately. It also gave me the chance to try my hand at writing other characters. I hope you liked the glimpse of Cress and Scarlet, next up is Thorne and Wolf. :)_


	3. Chapter 3

"What exactly is Love Day?"

Wolf's question caught Thorne off-guard, if only because Love Day was such an integral part of living on Earth that it was hard to fathom someone not knowing about it. Except that this someone was a Lunar wolf-hybrid, a trained soldier of the queen's army. Thorne doubted their training schedules allowed for any kind of social events.

Still, the question gave him pause since Wolf hardly ever asked questions. At least, not of Thorne (which was a shame really, since Thorne was full of the best answers on all sorts of subjects). But as far as he could tell, Wolf's go-to people were Scarlet and Cress, even before they left Luna together after Cinder's coronation.

Cress should have been an odd choice, with her being stuck in a satellite for many years and never having set foot on Earth. But whatever could be learned from netdramas and invisiscreens, Cress knew. She easily knew more about many aspects of Earth and Earthen traditions than he did and he was an Earthen.

No, Cress wouldn't need to ask about Love Day. Rather, Wolf would ask her and she would explain it to him. That Wolf was approaching Thorne now surprised him.

Thorne leaned against one of the crates, considering how to answer Wolf. "It's a special day for couples to celebrate. A bit like the Peace Ball though it's not an official holiday I guess." He glanced at Wolf and the way he almost squirmed. "Do you have days of celebrations on Luna?"

Wolf grunted. "Sort of. We celebrate the Lunar Independence Day. And the birthday of the first monarch of Luna, Cyprus Blackburn. Also Lunar eclipses, whenever they occur," Wolf recounted as if unused to remembering a time before he had been turned into a wolf soldier. Maybe he was.

"Interesting. How did the festivities go?"

A shrug. "I wouldn't know. The Outer Sectors never took part in them. It was a thing for the people in Artemisia."

Thorne shuddered as he imagined growing up on Luna. His own childhood home might not have given him much freedom but at least he had been well-cared for in many other ways. Birthday parties, allowances, vacations - all luxuries and a stark contrast to the lives of Wolf, Cress, and Cinder. Even his time in the military had been merely an inconvenience to his plans.

He turned back to the conversation at hand. "Then it might be hard to compare to anything you know. But it's just a day really where you go on a date with someone you've asked out, or are going out with on a regular basis."

"So, it's only for couples? What if one doesn't have a ..." Wolf trailed off, his fingers drumming on one of the crates.

"Significant other?" Thorne provided with a grin, then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. As I said, it's not official and no-one is required to actually plan something for Love Day. You can just as well spend it with friends or with no one at all. You don't get the day off either," he added good-naturedly. Wolf's face fell. Maybe he had already made plans with Scarlet? "However, as I want my crew to be happy, you will obviously get the day off," Thorne hurried to add, puffing out his chest. "That's the kind of Captain I am, you better appreciate it."

Wolf gave him a teasing smile that revealed the fangs he usually kept hidden. "And you already have plans with Cress."

"That too," Thorne agreed. It was still very gracious of him, he felt. "Sooo, you've got plans with Scarlet then?" he drawled, poking Wolf's side with his elbow, pleased when he spotted a hint of a blush on Wolf's cheeks despite the heavy modifications.

It was a good thing that he and Cress would have their own night out. He didn't want to be close when Wolf ... well, when Wolf got close to Scarlet.

"I'm not sure," Wolf admitted. "I wouldn't know what to do. What are you doing with Cress?"

"Uh-uh, don't be a copycat," Thorne said jokingly, but at Wolf's crestfallen look he answered with the same consideration he would use to answer Cress's questions. "Look, everyone is different, Wolf. What works for Cress and me might not work for you and Scarlet. Scratch that, I know it won't. You should do something that both of you will enjoy. It doesn't have to be anything grand. Unless you think Scarlet would be into that?"

Wolf hesitated for a few seconds but then shook his head. "No."

"See? Find something Scarlet would love. Where is the place she would love to be more than anything?"

As Love Day drew nearer, Thorne learned that Wolf had asked Scarlet to spend some time together at Benoit's farm.

It couldn't be more perfect in Thorne's opinion.

Especially since he had given Wolf the idea, of course.

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 **A/N** : _A small update with the help of kiminicricket, my bew beta who is doing a great job with my chapters. :) Next up: Someone is really curious about their secret Love Day date._


	4. Chapter 4

Cress had always been curious. Stuck in the lava tubes, she had constantly tried to learn more than the opportunities she had been given allowed her to do. In the satellite, the only thing that kept her from going crazy was researching everything the net had to offer.

So, it was no surprise that Cress had been tempted to find out what Thorne had planned for their Love Day date.

And temptation was a very tricky thing to navigate, Cress found.

Because when you never had a choice in life, things became fairly easy. Even when she switched her alliances from Mistress Sybil and Luna to two fugitives with a spaceship, there hadn't been really anything else she could have done at that point.

But oh, this temptation. Cress knew that she could find out in a matter of seconds what Thorne had planned. She could hack into his portscreen and retrace his calls. Check his feed history. Look up any reservations. After all, the answer would be just a hacking job away.

Except, that she knew she shouldn't. It was meant to be a surprise and she had noticed how happy Thorne was with whatever he had in mind. He walked around looking very pleased, grinning in a way that usually made her all flustered and breathless. Now it was just infuriating.

Especially since Thorne quickly caught onto how hard it was for her to contain her curiosity. He winked at her when he left the room to take a call she wasn't supposed to listen to. He affectionately tweaked her nose when she tried to overhear at least some part of the conversation. She had even tried to ask him a few innocuous questions while they were waiting for Scarlet and Wolf to finish up their round of distributing the antidote a few days ago.

They had settled on the ramp, Cress nestled in Thorne's arms and a warm blanket as they enjoyed a few minutes of fresh air. Cress knew she had to be careful about getting sick but she just couldn't resist a few moments of feeling the year's first rays of sun on her skin. Or what Thorne had let her expose to the sun, which was really just her face. The rest of her was protected by the blanket and Thorne's body emanating a comfortable warmth.

She was about to doze off when Thorne stirred as he checked an incoming d-comm, angling his portscreen so she couldn't read it.

When Cress had tried to sneak a peek, he playfully pinched her side. "Uh uh. No snooping."

"I wasn't!"

Thorne bit the inside of his cheeks, clearly unconvinced. "Mhm, sure, darling." He snuggled her closer into his embrace though, his lips close to her ear. "If you want to get closer for other reasons though, I'd be happy to make it worth your while." There was a husky quality to his voice that never failed to send shudders down her spine, as his lips found the soft spot below her earlobe.

With the afternoon sun painting the sky in hues of violet and orange, the distant chirping of birds and the feel of Thorne's arms around her as he gently kissed her jawline, Cress couldn't be happier.

Well, almost.

"Can't you tell me anything?"

Another leisurely kiss. "Nope."

"Just a tiny hint?"

"Nuh-uh."

Cress thought about it, only slightly distracted by the way his fingers combed through her hair. "I could blackmail you."

A quiet laugh. "I'd like to see you try."

"Or bribe you."

There was a short pause. "Continue."

Cress hadn't expected that. She tried to come up with a reasonable idea she could tempt Thorne with. "Um, I could ... help you with your chores?"

"The ones you always help me with anyway? Pass."

"Or I could sneak you more showering time?" She knew how much Thorne loved his long showers and Scarlet was very strict about all of them keeping to their assigned time.

She could feel rather than hear the chuckle that followed. "Tempting. Very tempting. But no."Cress pursed her lips in frustration. She turned around in Thorne's arms, so she was lying on top of him and looked up at him. He seemed a bit taken aback and she could see his Adam's apple bobbing as his hands gently found the small of her back.

"Can't you tell me anything at all?" She tried again.

Thorne didn't say anything for a long time as he considered her question. By the way his jaw worked she could tell he was close to complying with her request before his face softened. "Cress, if you really want to know I'll tell you everything. I just thought ... I wanted you to have a nice surprise for a change." One of his hands found her hair again, as he played with it absent-mindedly. "And for more selfish reasons, I wanted to see your face when you see what I had planned for our first date. I can't be sure obviously but ... I think you will love it. So, I'm excited to surprise you, but if you rather not—"

Cress stopped him with a finger to his lips. "I'm sorry I asked. You're right. I want it to be a surprise too." And then she leaned up to find his lips and kissed him so he would know that her heart was bursting with happiness.

And she was truly happy in that moment. Thorne was going above and beyond to make their very first date memorable.

Cress obviously knew that Thorne had already gone to countless dates with other girls. But at the same time she knew that Thorne wanted her to feel extra special and not like just another girlfriend. Whatever he had planned for their day was just a way for him to prove it.

He deserved to go on with his plan. She would have to trust him.

Cress snuggled close to him and laid her head on his chest. "I'm sorry for being so nosy."

"Don't be. It's all sorts of charming, really."

Cress doubted it but let it slide. "It's just that, on the satellite, I could always find out whatever I wanted. There was nothing I couldn't find out if I didn't put my mind to it."

"And now you don't even though you could. I know you could just hack my phone. I appreciate that you don't."

Her heart warmed at his words, especially since they both knew about her more than thorough research all those months ago before she had even met him. But now it was different. She wasn't all alone, stuck in a satellite with nothing but her netfeeds to keep her fast mind company. There was a different sort of trust between them.

To the sound of his heartbeat, Cress promised to herself that she would keep her curiosity in check. If Thorne went through all this trouble to give her a surprise worth waiting for, the least she could do was let him do it without spoiling anything. Yes, she was still curious and tempted to find out whatever she could. But this date wasn't just about her - it was about them.

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 **A/N** : _I hope everyone enjoyed some fluffy Cresswell feels?_ _A big thank you to_ kiminicricket _for being an amazing beta._


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